Two London men have been jailed for more than five years each after attempting to smuggle four Indian migrants into Britain hidden behind dirty tyres in a hire van.
Shafaz Khan, from Feltham, and Choudhry Rashied, from Southall, were each sentenced to five years and three months in prison at Isleworth Crown Court on Tuesday.
The pair were caught trying to bring the migrants into the UK illegally through Newhaven Ferry Port in March 2019.
The migrants were discovered crammed into dangerous and squalid conditions in a hidden compartment behind a stack of tyres.
When stopped by Border Force officers, Khan claimed they were returning from a trip to Belgium.
A subsequent search of their hire van revealed the migrants hidden in a cramped cabin behind heavy tyres.
A Home Office investigation later uncovered that the pair had specifically hired the van to smuggle the Indian nationals into Britain.
"Both Khan and Rashied sold these vulnerable individuals a dream and promised them a safe journey and prosperous life in the UK, which was far from the truth," said Chris Foster, Immigration Enforcement Regional Lead.
The smugglers used "burner" phones to communicate with each other in an attempt to conceal their criminal activities.
CCTV footage traced Khan and Rashied to a local cafe where they met to plan the trafficking operation.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said: "This case displays the lengths people smugglers will go to to disguise their criminal activity."
"These smugglers exploited a group of individuals by putting them into an unsafe and unlawful situation for their own financial gain," she added.
Eagle said: "Our skilled investigators are working tirelessly to protect our borders and that starts with dismantling the people smuggling networks who put lives at risk and undermine our border security."
The Government is investing £150 million into a new Border Security Command to combat criminal smuggling gangs.
The initiative forms part of a broader strategy involving increased enforcement action and cooperation with key partners to disrupt trafficking networks.
Last week, the Government announced new measures aimed at disrupting gangs trafficking migrants across the Channel.
The Home Office revealed that new court orders could restrict suspected traffickers from using laptops, mobile phones and social media.
The orders may also prevent suspects from associating with certain people or accessing their bank accounts.
These measures will be included in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, expected to be introduced to Parliament this month.
It comes as figures show almost 37,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats in 2024, a 25 percent increase from the previous year.
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Shafaz Khan, from Feltham, and Choudhry Rashied, from Southall, were each sentenced to five years and three months in prison at Isleworth Crown Court on Tuesday.
The pair were caught trying to bring the migrants into the UK illegally through Newhaven Ferry Port in March 2019.
The migrants were discovered crammed into dangerous and squalid conditions in a hidden compartment behind a stack of tyres.
When stopped by Border Force officers, Khan claimed they were returning from a trip to Belgium.
A subsequent search of their hire van revealed the migrants hidden in a cramped cabin behind heavy tyres.
A Home Office investigation later uncovered that the pair had specifically hired the van to smuggle the Indian nationals into Britain.
"Both Khan and Rashied sold these vulnerable individuals a dream and promised them a safe journey and prosperous life in the UK, which was far from the truth," said Chris Foster, Immigration Enforcement Regional Lead.
The smugglers used "burner" phones to communicate with each other in an attempt to conceal their criminal activities.
CCTV footage traced Khan and Rashied to a local cafe where they met to plan the trafficking operation.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said: "This case displays the lengths people smugglers will go to to disguise their criminal activity."
"These smugglers exploited a group of individuals by putting them into an unsafe and unlawful situation for their own financial gain," she added.
Eagle said: "Our skilled investigators are working tirelessly to protect our borders and that starts with dismantling the people smuggling networks who put lives at risk and undermine our border security."
The Government is investing £150 million into a new Border Security Command to combat criminal smuggling gangs.
The initiative forms part of a broader strategy involving increased enforcement action and cooperation with key partners to disrupt trafficking networks.
Last week, the Government announced new measures aimed at disrupting gangs trafficking migrants across the Channel.
The Home Office revealed that new court orders could restrict suspected traffickers from using laptops, mobile phones and social media.
The orders may also prevent suspects from associating with certain people or accessing their bank accounts.
These measures will be included in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, expected to be introduced to Parliament this month.
It comes as figures show almost 37,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats in 2024, a 25 percent increase from the previous year.
Find Out More...